A morning in Aldermaston before mooring in the country
Moored Kennet & Avon Canal
I mean who on earth would break into an elsan disposal point? Gawd! That is all that is behind the locked door. Maybe it was a boater who didn’t have a key or something!
We took the opportunity of having a pump out at the boatyard. £15 it was, but I worked out that if we cruised on to Tyle Mill where there is a BW pump out at £10 we would have used that much diesel.
We left the service block, went through the swing bridge and on down the lock below the boatyard before winding (turning) to come back up and gently weave our way in between the numerous boats moored outside. Service was rather slow, nobody appeared to serve us, so I asked the receptionist to get someone to put on diesel and empty our loo tank as I was off to Tom and Jan’s for coffee along with Vic.
A pleasant half hour or so aboard NB Ufton, their temporary home while their boat is rebuilt, before continuing out into the countryside once the boatyard had taken my money. Moaning a bit I was. It is the first time ever that I have had to pay £1 for the zero rated part of diesel for heating and power, well it was £1.05, and £1.50 something for propulsion! 
From our mooring this morning, perfect. Gosh it was a bit cold last night, warm enough in the boat though. Today was beautiful. Some wood chopped and stored in readiness for the snow forecast for tomorrow night. It certainly won’t effect us, and will probably be gone by Monday or Tuesday.
Plenty of walking today with the girls, and my late walk took me around one of the large lakes in the area. I didn’t take my camera and was very surprised that my phone was sensitive enough to take the sunset over the frozen lake.
Do you remember this..
Taken in November of our winter mooring at Great Bedwyn. We are stuck in front of the three abreast boats. I wrote to British Waterways asking how many boats had paid for winter moorings here. Well I asked and asked. No replies.
But today I had a phone call from Sally Ash, Head of Boating Business for British Waterways, with an apology for the 5 emails I had sent not being answered, along with the good news that my Winter Mooring payment would be refunded. That is fair enough, that is what I asked for. This was the part of the canal that was closed to boating. All these boats in the picture were here before the closure too! I was the only stupid bod to have paid to be there! 
Plenty of ice on the canal down here in the south, but we are moored on the river. That will do just fine for a while. 
Sue
Updated 24th April 2012
February 3rd, 2012 at 11:39 pm
Well done. good for you! And good for BW for eventually replying.
Kath (nb Herbie)
February 4th, 2012 at 12:44 am
You bought a winter mooring at Great Bedwyn. Why should you get a refund? AFAIK you were moored there since mid September through to January! That is over 3+ months in total.
You buy a winter mooring because you don’t want to go anywhere. Just because the canal was shut doesnt entitle you to a refund IMHO
Questions need to be answered by BW as to why they did.
February 4th, 2012 at 9:32 am
Hi Sue
Good choice on the pump out – BW pumpout cards are now £14.95 so you would have saved 5p not £5! That’s about 90 seconds boating at £1.50 per litre.
February 4th, 2012 at 11:24 am
Sue is there a reason why your diesel costs 1.50+? (Info from PetrolPrices.com) With your record in getting refunds from BW, you should negotiate a fuel sub….(lol)
UK Prices for Thursday 2nd February 2012
Avg Min Max
Unleaded 134.59p 129.9p 146.9p
Diesel 142.52p 137.9p 156.9p
Super Unleaded 142.24p 133.9p 152.9p
Premium Diesel 150.34p 143.9p 159.9p
LPG 75.27p 65.9p 84.9p
February 5th, 2012 at 1:51 am
Comprehension failure, I regret to say it took a noticeable time before I stopped thinking why put in only a pounds worth.
February 5th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
I got my boat filled up (600L) from a taker at home. 1st so I could test the diesel tanks before going onto the water and calibrate the tank sender, 2nd to keep the CH running while I’m working in it, and 3rd because I got it for 70p and won’t get that opportunity once it’s on the water.
Kev.
February 5th, 2012 at 10:15 pm
You could have had cheaper fuel on the Shroppie but Simon has just put his pumpouts up to £18.00. A porta potty is starting to look good!
February 6th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Sue I have just seen on Narrowboatworld that Shobnall Marina has reopened.
Have you had any snow? We have up here in the East Midlands. Hopefully it will be gone soon
February 7th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Bernie,
Well you say “AFAIK you were moored there since mid September”. You will then AFAUK the reason why. Because my Dad took ill very seriously! I phoned BW and told them I had to leave the boat in a hurry and would not be able to return to move the boat the very next day when I saw the situation.
Someone would get back to me they said. Nobody did. Two days later I phoned again, someone would get back to me. Nobody did. I phoned again the day after that, someone would get back to me. Nobody did.
I was very distressed, I didn’t phone again.
After my Dad died, I went back to the boat to make sure everything was OK. I found an overstay ticket on my boat. But I am sure you know that!
Before he died, because I didn’t know at this point how long I was going to have to leave the boat, I booked a winter mooring for two months trying to be fair.
When I eventually got back to NP after the funeral the canal was shut to all boat movement. The moorings at Great Bedwyn were chocker block full of boats who had moved there, although there were 4 boats that were there when we moored when we got the news of my Dads illness.
None of those boats had paid to be there. Of course BW would consider giving me a refund. They only had to look at the circumstances, and as you have stated you seem to already know anyway.
That is the reason why, now leave me alone!
February 8th, 2012 at 12:55 am
Sue you really didn’t need to say all that. We all knew.
February 8th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Chins up Sue. Don’t let it get you down. X
February 8th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
Kath,
Yes well done to BW, they saw the situation and acted in a proper manner. Apart from their appauling cs not replying to emails or phone calls I have found them very understanding over the 10 years we have been continuous cruisers. But you have to work at it to get to them!
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Peter,
Well I do have some cards still from when it was £10. I thought the rise was far too much. You are lucky if they are working to be honest. They need new card readers that are more robust.
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John & Jenny,
Some boat yards are out of order charging what they do. They know there is no alternative in the area so they just know they can make big profits.. and always with a smile too!
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Roger Smith,
A pounds worth? Jeez that was a very, very long time ago!
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Kevin,
That was really good. No you won’t get another opportunity at that price for sure. I know some boaters club together and meet up at a convenient point and order a tanker full for their boats. Something that maybe the three boats who are travelling together this winter should think about?
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Andy,
Simon is too dear on his pump outs, always has been. Spose he is because he has to make it up after his cheap fuel prices due to the fact that Wheaton Aston is just up the cut!
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Kate,
That is interesting, I shall have to find out what their split policy is on their diesel now. No snow here, well a bit but nothing to take a photo for!
February 9th, 2012 at 12:00 am
James and Kate,
Bernie’s comment rubbed me up the wrong way. I wanted to put the record straight with him, but I have a feeling he already knew. I do hate trolls!